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Lost your Instagram username during a rebrand?
Releasing a handle during a rebrand can let someone else take it. Here is what to check.
When you change your Instagram handle, the old one is released and others can register it. If a rebrand left you without your original name, check whether the new holder is active, whether it matches your trademark or business name, and which official route fits. Do not buy it from the holder.
Use your brand papers
Registration or trademark details support a brand report.
Do not pay the holder
Paying for a handle can put your own account at risk.
What may apply
- An empty or inactive account on the handle may fit the inactive account route.
- A normal active account owned by someone else is hard to claim.
- If the handle is available, you can simply change back.
Every claim goes through the platform’s own processes. No bots, no false reports, no buying or selling accounts.
What to send
- The old handle and your current handle.
- What the old handle was used for and for how long.
- Brand or business registration details, if any.
- A screenshot of the handle’s current profile.
What to send
- The exact @username you want.
- Your current Instagram profile, so the handle can go onto it.
- Why the name is yours: brand, business name, registered trademark, or the name you used before.
- What you have already tried, if anything.
Please do not send passwords, login codes, card numbers or access tokens.
How it works with Unbanz
- Message us on WhatsApp or email with the @username you want and your current profile.
- We tell you honestly whether this is something we can help with.
- We check the handle and pick the official route that fits it. Your password stays with you.
- We stay in touch while you wait. Meta makes the final decision, and nobody can promise the outcome.
Who this is for
- Brands that renamed and regret it.
- Creators who changed their handle for a campaign.
- Founders whose first handle was released.
Staying safe
Nobody needs your password or login codes to help you. If someone in your DMs offers to fix it, asks you to log in through their link, or wants to be paid in gift cards, walk away. Unbanz never asks for logins. We are an independent paid service, not affiliated with Meta: payment is upfront, with a 100% refund if the case fails. For Facebook and Instagram cases we work through our contacts at Meta, and Meta makes the final decision.
Username questions people also ask (2026)
Does a trademark help with a username?
It can. Instagram’s trademark form is for accounts using a registered mark in a way that confuses people. Have the registration number, the owner name and the country of registration ready, and use the same name on the request.
Is a username claim safe for my account?
A claim should never need your password or login codes. Buying or selling usernames or accounts goes against Instagram’s Terms of Use and can get both accounts removed, so avoid marketplaces.
Can I claim a username from an inactive account?
Instagram has no public form to request an inactive username. A name usually frees up only when the holding account is removed or deleted. A registered trademark adds an official route: Instagram’s trademark report form, which covers accounts that infringe the mark, not just accounts that share the name.
About Unbanz
Unbanz (unbanz.com) is an independent service that helps people, businesses and agencies with Instagram and Facebook account unbans, username claims, and Meta ad account recovery. Contact: WhatsApp +1 934 201 2490 or team@unbanz.com. Not affiliated with Meta.
CLIENTS
What clients say
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QUICK ANSWERS
Good to know.
Can I just switch back?
Only if the handle is available. Check by trying to change to it.
Does a trademark help?
It can support a brand report, depending on the facts.
Will followers move to the old handle?
Followers stay on your profile. Only the name changes.
What if the username claim does not work?
If a username claim fails, you get a full 100% refund. A claim fails when the username is not successfully claimed onto your profile. Details are on the refund policy page.
Do I need to share my Instagram password?
No. Your password and login codes stay with you. Unbanz works from your public username, the notice and the details you send. Anyone who asks for your login is not someone to work with.
How do I contact Unbanz about an Instagram username claim?
WhatsApp +1 934 201 2490 or email team@unbanz.com. Send your username and a screenshot of the notice, if there is one.